It's June 25th, which means...start clipping coupons, catalog shopping, scarfing up clearance items, and dusting off those Christmas stamp sets...because 'Tis the Season in just six short months, hee! This week is another sketch by Belinda Chang Langner at the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge Blog!

I turned the sketch up 90 degrees, but cooled it off with a blizzardy scene:

I first stamped the checkerboard pattern from Off Beat Backgrounds in Memento Summer Sky (light blue) ink on white paper. Then, the big and small snowflakes from Seasons of Love-Tags over the top in Versamark ink, heat embossing them with clear powder as I went along. (Tip, I found it easier to stamp one and emboss it right away, so that I could see the pattern forming. As they say...ask me how I know!)

Next the snowflakes and sentiment from Compliments of the Season in VersaColor Indigo ink, heat embossed with clear powder. Lastly, took Tumbled Glass Distress ink, and sponged over the whole scene. The checkerboard still shows through, and is especially purty under those embossed snowflakes that resisted the ink! Cut out the sentiment and adhered it with dimensionals, added a few clear rhinestones, and a big bow on the "lonely" corner to the right! Rather CAS for me, but I kinda like it!

See what you can dream up with Belinda's sketch this week, and post your creation HERE by next Friday, July 1st. Be sure to include at least one Waltzingmouse Stamps image on your creation, and you are eligible to be the randomly-selected winner of a free WMS stamp set of choice!

Now that's the spirit!! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.........

Saturday, June 18, 2011

This week the Make It Monday Challenge at Papertrey Ink was to use the "Rock and Roll" technique. I chose to use it with Polka Dot Basics:

(Please excuse the camera smudge in the upper left corner, must have been from being in my purse for the past few days what with the T-Ball trophy ceremony and school end functions :)

I stamped the black outline dot first, and then went back in with the solid dot image and rocked and rolled it in aqua, light green, and dark green inks. Used the sentiment and bug from Baby Button Bits...even glittered up the wings and added some pearls (even though this appears to be a boy baby card)!

Thanks for stopping by! It was fun to try out that oldie but goodie technique again!

It's sketch time #52 at the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge Blog, which means the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the blog! Yay! Claire asked us to pick one of our favorite sketches from all of the previous ones. I headed waaaay back to good ole' sketch #1!

Before Claire's blog, I rarely participated in sketch challenges. I would complete a card here and there, but I typically gravitated toward Inspiration or Color challenges. It was love at first sight with Claire's sketches, and all of the wonderful things that the Design Team, and then Mischief Makers, did with them. I was so inspired by all of the different directions... clean and simple, shabby chic, embellished, whimsical, elegant, all from Claire's original sketch! It showed how versatile they really were, and I started to play week after week. I decided to go back to Number 1 because I think that I have improved so much with my sketch cards, and I have the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge blog to thank for it!

Here is my card:

I used two WMS sets, Afternoon Tea and Afternoon Tea Sentiments, for this card. I have been inspired by many of the sketch challenge participants' dainty paper-pieced tea cups, and I went searching for some pretty paper to try one myself! This paper is called "Ancestry.com Teal Floral" by K&Company. I used the same paper underneath, I just layered some patterned vellum over the top of it to "soften" the look. The amethyst cardstock is embossed with the Cuttlebug Textile Embossing folder. The button is a vintage one that I have kept FOREVER, just waiting to use it on the right card. I think it is my favorite button of all times!

The Mischief Makers and Design Team have all chosen different sketches to inspire you to create this week. It's your turn to choose one (or more) of the sketches that were chosen, and submit a card HERE by next Friday, June 24th. Be sure to use at least one Waltzingmouse Stamps image on your creation, as a randomly-chosen participant will win a free stamp set of choice!

BLOG CANDY ALERT! Be sure to stop over at WMS DT member Julia Aston's blog, as she has a Say It Loud stamp set to give away! Just post an answer to her question up until Friday, June 24th at 11:00 PM EST. You could be the randomly-chosen winner that will be announced on her sketch challenge post next Saturday the 25th! HOW FUN!

I used a number of WMS stamp sets for this card: Gingham & Co., the star from Midnight Feast, the circle pattern from Teeny Trees, the sweater pattern from Faux Fun, the stitched pattern from Off Beat Backgrounds, a sentiment from Sewing Box Hugs, and the saltbox house from Blessed by You. Made my quilt by cutting mini square nesties and stamping the patterns on them.

Since I am so late posting, I am off to check out a slice of Americana a bit later today. I cannot WAIT to see everyone's creations. Thanks so much to Claire for celebrating her "American cousins" this month!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

I used Earth Angel for my first sketch as a Mischief Maker. It was time to get her out again (it seemed like a long wait :). Honestly, I could probably use this set for every sketch challenge card. It's one of my all time favorites!

Used Dainty Doilies-Large set and Dainty Doilies-2, Small to make the background and to stamp on the butterflies' wings, which are embossed with white powder (so are the angel's). Once I stamped the doily background, I realized that I didn't want to cover it up with a panel of cardstock...it was just too pretty! So, I paper-pieced some holes around a rectangle template, and hand-stitched some twine. Fancied up the angel's dress with Gingham & Co. Didn't realize that this sentiment came included in the Earth Angel set until I checked to see what would fit in my rectangle...I was SO excited when I saw it! Just goes to show how many images Claire puts in one set!

We would all love for you to come and play along! Upload your project HERE using Belinda's sketch, and be sure to use at least one Waltzingmouse Stamp image in your creation to be eligible for the random drawing to receive a free stamp set of choice!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Got to stamp today in honor of the Featured Stamper at Splitcoast, Taylor Usry (aka stagccva)! Here is Taylor's card that I cased.

Kept Taylor's general layout, flowers, and touches of black...left off the sentiment oval, and used different colors and images. Still can never get enough of the Button Boutique set from Papertrey Ink, it's so fun to combine it with images from the Button Bits series! The background is made with my new "Cover a Card" background from Impression Obsession. It's called "Screen" and it's soooo cool (and huge)! I sure AM obsessed with background images. Also got Distressed Corduroy and Canvas and can't wait to use those, too. I kind of want all of them!

The sentiment says "All things grow with love" even though my bow is covering it...think I might make another one, and give these to the girls' teachers at the end of the school year in two weeks!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

I had some extended free time last weekend. The girls were staying with my sister on Friday and Saturday overnight as Jason and I were celebrating our 10th anniversary. We agreed that we needed some "me" time before picking them up on Sunday! I originally created this card in 4 seasons, but 2 didn't make the final cut! So here is the best season...summer is finally here:

Used images and sentiment from Teeny Trees combined with the Cracked Glass technique. The Woodgrain Impression plate is from Papertrey Ink. I didn't have Ultra Thick Embossing powder, so I kept layering regular clear embossing powder (making a huge mess and burning my finger at least 4 times). Popped the little tree panel in the freezer while it was still hot, and still managed to get some good cracking...

This place needs a window replacement, hee!

The other season to make it to the Final Two was fall, still using images and a sentiment from Teeny Trees(that set is PACKED with them!):

I hope you have as much fun as I did with this week's sketch! Upload your creation HERE by next Friday, June 10th and be sure to use at least one Waltzingmouse Stamps image on your creation. Then you will be eligible for the random drawing to win one free stamp set of choice!